Protected areas are fascinating places.
If you’re lucky, during your visit you may spot a wide variety of wildlife who call these parks home.
However, you may not always see healthy animals.
In these natural spaces, you could see animals that look sick, injured, or orphaned. We know you want to help wildlife, but helping wildlife means keeping your hands off! Continue reading Hands off park wildlife!
Over the years, Ontario Parks staff have created many blogs about turtles, their significance to the Ontario landscape, and why it’s important that we protect and support them.
You may even be familiar with our Turtle Protection Project! With seven of the eight turtle species found in Ontario being species-at-risk under the Ontario Endangered Species Act, 2007, we like to give them all the support and attention we can.
Well, today’s post is all about this season’s turtle protection efforts in our Southeast Zone, including a new project that was started this year…
Introducing Team Turtle!
Continue reading Keeping tabs on turtles in Southeastern Ontario
Today’s post was written by seasonal student Heather Van Den Diepstraten from Rondeau Provincial Park.
It’s not just students and birds on the move this fall.
As the cold weather approaches, reptiles are trekking across Rondeau Provincial Park in search of hibernacula (places in which wildlife overwinter). Researchers for Wildlife Preservation Canada are busy tracking the movements of snakes, turtles, and skinks within the park as they find suitable habitat for their hibernation.
Continue reading Slithering into fall: hibernation for Ontario’s reptiles
We’ve got some “egg-citing” news!
In 2022, we went on a mission to protect Ontario’s at-risk turtles.
It was a huge success! In fact, at one park, we had our first Painted Turtle hatchling emerge from a nest in ten years!
And it wouldn’t have been possible without our “turtley” awesome donors and the Turtle Protection Project.
Continue reading Our 2022 Turtle Protection Project results: a reason to “shell”ebrate!
What do turtles and reusable water bottles have in common? More than you might imagine.
Turtles need our help, and we’ve partnered with our friends at Chilly Moose (and their reusable bottles) to help meet the challenge! Continue reading Turtles love water (bottles!)
Today’s post comes from David LeGros, a Natural Heritage Education Specialist at Algonquin Provincial Park.
I spent most of my youth in rubber boots and obsessed with nature. I was always looking for interesting animals and plants.
There are a few creatures then, just like now, that always inspire me.
Top of my list: the Snapping Turtle.
Today’s article comes from Emily Wright, Discovery Program Leader at Grundy Lake Provincial Park.
Spring at Grundy Lake is a quiet time of year.
The lake waters are cold from the melting snow and ice, birds are just starting to arrive from their long migrations, and visitors are few and far between.
Park staff, however, are often busy and bustling about as they begin to prepare for another season of campers.
Continue reading Turtle eggs and salamander spawn: spring monitoring at Grundy Lake
Today’s post comes from Laura McClintock, senior park naturalist at Sibbald Point Provincial Park.
The sun is shining, glittering off the ice. It’s winter on Lake Simcoe.
From the shore, it appears the lake is ‘asleep’ for the winter months, with no movement to be seen. However, that’s just what’s on the surface. The reality below is quite different.
Winter for the aquatic species of Lake Simcoe is one of necessity and mystery. Let’s dive in.
In our “Behind the Scenes” series, Discovery Program staff across the province share a backstage glimpse of their favourite programs and projects. Today’s post comes from Rosemary Minns from Emily Provincial Park.
Emily Provincial Park is a lovely place. Plenty of docks to fish, beaches to swim, and large campsites. I was extremely excited to work as a Discovery student at Emily. There was one catch to this job…
…I had to learn to take care of a Snapping Turtle.
Continue reading Love at first snap: caring for Spike at Emily Provincial Park
We’re doing it!
We’re helping more and more turtles in our provincial parks with the support of our incredible donors.
Over the past several months, we have collected donations for our Turtle Protection Projects across Ontario.
We are thrilled to report that many of these projects are well underway. Our park staff are working hard to protect and monitor nesting turtles and their hatchlings.
